The Penn's Grove record., 1887-04-02

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dreadful place he must die. Miss We're
was a young lady of resources. She had
a mans heart in a woman's body, and
having given her word that he shou d
not be left behind, she there and then
arranged a plan OF action with Larry.
On the last night the pay was Ham
let" which was finished by 1890. That
evening "Phi" was CONSPICUOUS by his
absence. Everybody was astonished
but Miss We're, Larry and the manager.
Fitz Edmund, who played Hamlet,
said he thought it strange that Pilu-
quesne had not turned up to say "Good
bye.n
The manager replied IN. Piluquesne
is a gentleman, and knows what he is
about"
The performance was W altogether
about IL. The carts were waiting at
the door, and Larry and the men were
occupied in packing the properties and
wardrobe for the next town, when
Lieutenant Carte, a grim, lanky officer,
who had charge of the depot that night,
came down with a file of men and de-
manded to know in the most p~eremptory
manner what had become of Pilu.
quesne.
"Divil a wan of me knows,n replied
Larry. "Afther all ] done for him he
might have been afther Iukkin' round
to give a a leg up the last night; but
it's just the way with them ~ungrateful
thieves Of foreigners. Bad luck to them;
they're all alike, every mothers son of
'em."
VVhtla 4ho e,x1snoH .vro h1spr TING
holly discussed between the lieutenant
and Larry, Ophelia's coffin was brought
out and carefully deposited on the cart
beside Yorick's skull, the piekax, the
spade and the shrouding sheet, Sc.
"That'saru rig out to. travel WITH"
growled the lieutenant.
"Why, shure, captain" said Larry.
"you wouldn't have us 60 borrowing
the blessed paraphernalia in every town
We go to. Suppose, now, the mistress
happened to be stretched out wild her
toes turned upward, what would you
think if we were to come and ak your
honor's butler for the loan Of a coffin"
"None of your lip, you impudent,
bog trotting paddy" roared the enraged
officer as he ordered his men to the
Fright about face; quick march"
AS the gallant lieutenant turned the
corner had he been able to look two
ways at once, he might have seen the
property man executing an Assyrian
hieroglyph in the a Perhaps it was
Just as well that he didn't witness that
interesting performance.
Half an hour later Larry made a start
for Derby. When they were well out
of town he looked round to see that he
was unobserved. Then he undid the
screws of Ophelia's coffin. There in the
moonlight lay poor Piluquesne, sleeping
like "the baby of GIRL" and smiling
in his sleep.
"Aha!h Mishter Longlegs," cried
Larry, ''you can lock the stable door
now that the horse has bolted, but
you're not so cute syou think you are,
for all you wear an epaulette on the one
shoulder of you that's up to your ear"
Day was breaking when they got to
Derby: but unseen and unsupported
Larry contrived to smuggle his precious
charge into the theater, where ''the boys
and girls'' kept him concealed for a
week or two, till they had dubbed
enough money to enable them to send
him TO London by mail, having pre-
viously squared the guard and
driver.
Now, Of course, all things being
smooth and the coast clear, 'Poor Pill"
ought to have got safely 10 London,
from London to France, and to ''have
lived happy ever after'' with his
mother, or to have become IN admiral
or a post captain at least; but ~unfortu-
nately fact and fate refuse to be
squared" by fiction, however guards
and drivers of mail coaches may be.
A distinguished authoress, referring
to a little book Of mine recently pub
lished, said to me at the Haymarket the
other night the night of the Bancrofts'
farewell:
'tYou shouln't have made that young
fellow die. l declare it makes me quite
unhappy to think of his lying out there
in the snow on her grave"
Whereupon l replied: MY dear
madam, l didn't make him die-he did
die" So Poor Piln-but l am antici-
pating.
He had soft pleasant ways, and be-
guiled the time bg making little toys for
the ladies', with whom he was an espe-
cial pet, and by assisting Larry, who
became more and more attached to him.
The poor lad had been ailing a long
time-was consumptive, and Tacked
with a torturing and snffocating cough.
The night before his departure-Miss
We're and the girls had prepared an ONE
lette with sweet herbs and some chicken
broth, while the manager and the boys
brought him a posset made with whey
and white wine.
The girls tucked him up in his com
fortably-improvised bed in the green
room, kissed him, and babe him good
night.
The lads remained to cheer him up;
some of them even talked of running
over to see him at his home in Nor
mandy.
lie frightened up wonderfully. sang
them Glamour, L'Amour,n and talk
ed hopefully of his journey on the NOR
row.
Larry was the last to leave him.
"Embrassez-moi, mon cher Larrie!"
said poor Pill"
The Irishman understood him well
enough then, and no gently gathered
hIm up in his strong arms and kissed
him; then honest Larry broke down.
stDon't you cry for me; mon cher
Larrie. y said the boy. II shall O 0 be
strong enough when | get home, and
YOU will come and see me in La Belle
France some day will you not?"
''Some day." said Larry; Eyes, some
day; but there, there, go to sleep, jewel
go to sleep, avickl or you'll never be
able to get up tomorrow"
At last he did fall placidly to sleep,
and La ny left him to make the prepa
rations for the journey.
When they came at daybreak to see
him off, "Poor Pill" had taken a much
longer journey than they had anticipa-
ted. 1t was a lovely morning in the
young spring and the young birds out
side made alive the dismal place with
music. The sun shone through the
window on the bed. The fair young
face was bright and smiling. One drop
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